


Ink Slinger

by DailyDianakko



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Bookstore AU, Diakko, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Fluff, Roombas, Somewhat, first time with an actual plot, im doing my best, most characters are small mentions, rated T becuase I wanna have Diana say fuck at least once, she deserves to say fuck, they just get off on the wrong foot, this isnt crack i swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:26:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24351292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DailyDianakko/pseuds/DailyDianakko
Summary: Akko wants to be a writer like Chariot du Nord, a former author who has fallen from grace. She also just wants her textbook.Diana is torn between following her dreams or following the plan her aunt has laid out for her. She really just wants Akko to stop fondling her hands.They meet at a bookstore. Things do not go smoothly.
Relationships: Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari, Ursula Callistis | Chariot du Nord/Croix Meridies
Comments: 61
Kudos: 105





	1. I Just Really Need My Textbook

Akko gasped as her feet hit the hard concrete of the sidewalk. The crisp air invaded her lungs with each gasping breath, making her throat feel raw and her nose run. Waking up late once again had sent her into a wild crunch for time. She had planned to stop by the bookstore Lotte had recommended she go to before class. The quiet girl had told her that it was really well stocked for a private store, and Lotte frequented enough bookstores to know what was good and what wasn’t. Her expertise was the sole reason to warrant Akko even making a trip like this. Her friend was practically a walking yelp review to most any store in the county, much less state. Lotte’s frequent searches for sold out Nightfall books had only added to her knowledge, and Akko would be forever grateful. After all, Lotte shared the spirit of hope that often accompanied the search for rare or out of stock books.

Akko was still stubbornly clinging to the hope that she might find one of the missing books in her Shiny Chariot collection. That or a replacement “Introduction to English Literature” book that had sadly bitten the dust earlier in the week. The freak coffee incident had really left its mark, both on Akko’s skin and on everyone in the shared school dorm room. Sucy still hadn’t managed to get the coffee stains out of her lab coat and Akko really hoped that she wouldn’t try to get revenge later. She really had no desire to be woken up at four in the morning with another chemical concoction being poured down her throat. Akko gave a hard swallow to try to erase that particular memory. To be honest, Sucy never really needed a reason to use Akko as a resident guinea pig; but Akko didn’t like Sucy having an excuse. Sucy was a master manipulator, and she had no qualms about using guilt to motivate Akko into being a willing participant. Maybe she should just skip town and change her name. Assume a new identity and hope Sucy wouldn’t find her. 

Akko slowed down to a jog as she started to weave around other pedestrians that were filling the streets. It was getting rather crowded now due to the impending lunch hour. Lucky her.

She began to check road signs. Lotte said it would be in this area. Keeping her quick pace, Akko began to scan the nearby buildings for the bookstore she wanted to visit before class. She needed a replacement book today or her professor was seriously going to have her head!

Akko skidded to a halt as she caught sight of the lavender building that had the sign “Quill and Crow” hanging above the entrance; with the emblem of a white crow behind the cursive lettering. The store looked like an old Victorian building, matching the rest of the old era stores on the street. Like many of the cafes and stores of the small town of Blytonbury, it had been a reconverted house with its own quirks and renovations to distinguish it from the others. 

Akko quickly crossed the street after checking and making sure it was devoid of cars. Getting hit now would definitely make her late for class. Stepping up onto the cracked sidewalk, she looked once more at the building. Particularly the porch. There were weathered wicker chairs that had small tables next to them, each with a potted plant. The flowers clearly had been tended with loving care and were blooming beautifully. The seating was scattered in various areas along the white wood of the decking. The seating was far apart enough to be comfortable, giving off the air that one could happily read while in the company of others and avoid the uncomfortable feeling of overcrowding.

It would’ve been nice to sit among the gerbera daisies and catch her breath, but Akko had things to do and a class she could not afford to be late for. She quickly hopped up the creaky steps and passed the chairs. She was proud to say that she only paused a second, glancing at the tempting chairs and the comfort and resting potential that they provided, before turning the brass handle of the door and stepping into the building.

Her first impression was that it was quite clean. The dark floor showed no sign of dust nor dirt and was free of scratches and scuff marks. If Akko didn’t know any better, she would have thought the cream walls had been freshly painted. The missing wet sheen told her that yes, it would be safe to fall into should she lose her balance. Either this store was brand new, which she doubted, or it was very well kept.

The floor plan of the building was fairly open, and had various helpful signs in flowing script directing her where to go. She walked up to a nearby chalkboard sign, stepping around a full umbrella stand, with its own little handwritten sign that said “take but return.” Akko read the board quietly to herself. The first floor was non-fiction, café/gift shop area, and educational books, whereas the second floor was fiction, a sitting area, and a book exchange shelf. Akko knew the first floor was where she should stay, but her adventurous nature made her want to explore the second floor. Perhaps she’d find the Shiny Chariot book in the exchange section. Also, the farther away from coffee she was, the better it was for her. The incident was still all too fresh in her mind.

Akko wandered through the shelves until she found the stairway to the second floor. She slid her hand along the rich dark wood of the thick banister. It was smooth and cool to the touch. She climbed up the slightly creaky steps hesitantly. The store was quiet and she had yet to encounter any workers, maybe it was closed. As she got closer to the second floor, the tantalizing smell of old books hiding among new ones greeted her. She took in a deep breath and let out a happy sigh. Akko always loved the smell of books, be it old or new. She allowed the smell to enchant her and forgot about her worries. Akko stepped lightly through the shelves, there seemed to be no concrete sitting area, save for a large table with comfortable looking chairs suited to gatherings. It seemed the owners had opted for having various spots to sit hidden among the bookcases instead, much to Akko’s approval. As her eyes traced the spines of the books, reading various new titles, her attention was grabbed by the book exchange area. Just what she was looking for! The sign indicating the exchange area was written in the same script as all the other ones that littered the first floor of the store. Underneath the words book exchange was the apparent rules to this area of the store. “Take a book, leave a book,” Akko read aloud slowly “Books that are unexchanged are 50 cents per book. Area is sponsored by Croix Merides, Dean of the Robotics Branch of Luna Nova.”

The books on this particular shelf looked to be old and heavily used. Spines of the paperbacks were bent and the paper was fraying with heavy use. Not only did these books contain tales printed in ink along the pages, but it looked as if they held stories of the lives of the countless people who had read them. As Akko skimmed the shelf, one particular book stood out to her. She picked up the random title and glanced down at the cover. A dragon, regal and ancient, was illustrated; with the title in gilt lettering above it. “The Tales of Fafnir.” How interesting. She ran her fingers along the dog-eared pages and flipped through it. Some pages were marked with crayon scribbles, and an old library card codex was still lodged on the inner cover. It proudly displayed the names of those who had previously checked out the once library book. Akko felt her excitement bubble within her, and gently stomped her feet excitedly on the floor. She knew she was going to find a treasure here. Perhaps she’d find the missing book in her collection. “Shiny Chariot and the Tree of Life” had been quite elusive. No bookstores carried the titles after the author’s fall from grace, and whatever books that floated around ebay always exceeded the price range of a college student.

A small beep and a bump against her shoes drew Akko out of her excited thoughts. A little Roomba buzzed against her, stubbornly trying to finish its job. A little medallion signified that it belonged to the store and that its name was Jasper. Akko lifted up her foot and watched the Roomba go along its merry way. Gripped by yet more curiosity, Akko put back the book she held in her hands and followed Jasper as it rolled along, making an occasional boop. She stopped in her tracks when Jasper rolled up to a blonde organizing the shelves. The little robot tapped gently against the blonde’s ankle and she bent down to give it a pat. It let out a contented beep and then the mystery girl gently pushed it on its merry way with a tap of her ankle. Akko swore her heart melted at the action. The girl was so cute, treating Jasper like an errant cat. Akko must have let out a small coo, because the blonde turned towards her with a start. The look of surprise quickly fled from her face as the girl adopted more of a schooled and closed off look. “May I help you?” the girl said with a touch of frost in her voice. Akko could’ve sworn that the temperature in the room went down a few degrees. Maybe this was why the bookstore was empty. As much as Akko wanted to bite back, she figured the girl was probably embarrassed and decided she should kill with kindness.

“I am Atsuko, but you can call me Akko,” Akko bounced slightly on her toes with nervousness. “I was wondering if you had any English textbooks. Mostly Introduction to English Literature? I need it for a class.” Akko looked over the blonde once more. Neat jeans, a crisp button up, and immaculate hair. She was really pretty. Meanwhile Akko was in a stained college hoodie, basketball shorts, and her hair was probably a nightmare from her mad dash to the store. She probably wasn’t going to make a good impression. Akko quickly stood to attention as she realized the blonde was talking. She tried to register whatever the blonde was saying after her sudden mental checkout.

“-Diana, the books you should be looking for are on the first floor. Would you like me to escort you?” Diana’s voice sounded less frosty and more professional. Akko gave a quick nod and stepped to the side, making space for Diana to walk by. Diana shelved the book in her hand and moved the crate that had been hiding behind her closer to the shelf so that nobody would trip over it. As she walked by Akko, the brunette picked up a flowery smell, like a meadow covered in the early morning dew. It was nice. Akko began to follow after Diana, much like a puppy. The blonde was moving quickly, and with a purpose. She was fast, but not so fast that Akko would lose sight of her or have a hard time keeping up. Diana must have been experienced in leading people. Diana led her back out of the book exchange area, past the solitary communal desk, and right back to the stairs. She let out a word of warning to Akko when they began to descend to the first floor. Akko walked down the precarious steps much slower than Diana. After all, she had a track record of falling down and she didn't want to crush Diana. Diana waited, arms crossed, as Akko walked down the last few steps. After Akko had her feet safely on the ground, she turned on her heel and resumed her fast walk. Once again guiding Akko to her much needed textbook.

As they walked down what Akko deemed to be the textbook section, she marveled at the shelves of old college books that stretched on. Criminal Psychology, Introduction to Biology, Business Law, were all lined up. As Akko quickly read some of the spines, she quickly realized some of these textbooks were fairly old. Some of the editions even stretched back to 2007. It probably contributed to their low price. Without Akko noticing, Diana stopped abruptly having reached their destination. Akko stumbled as she tried to avoid hitting Diana. The blonde looked somewhat amused at Akko’s flailing limbs as she tried to regain balance and not fall over.

“Here is our shelf of older textbooks; I must warn you that older editions are usually outdated in information, and can conflict with current tests. Price tags are on the binding, and we do have editions that are loose and in binders that run cheaper in the back.” Diana ran a hand fondly along the shelf, and picked out a book. “This one is a 2016 edition of Introduction to English Literature, it’s the most recent one we have.” Diana quickly flipped through the book seemingly searching for something. Whatever she was looking for she must’ve not found, because she closed it with a jarring snap that made Akko jump slightly. Diana shoved the book into Akko’s direction, and despite herself Akko took the book in her hands. She figured Diana as a store employee would know which book would be the best one. Granted, Akko might regret her decision at the register, but she really needed an Intro to English Lit., lest her professor actually somehow get her expelled.

“Thank you, Diana.” Akko paused and shifted the book in her grip nervously. “Do you have any books by an author named Chariot, as in the Shiny Chariot series?” Akko probably was treading on dangerous territory now. There was a reason why it was so hard to find books written by Chariot du Nord. She had been blacklisted among the writing communities and fans. Chariot had been an innovator for an entire genre, but when it was revealed she had cheated her way to the top, she had fallen from grace very quickly. The Golden Quill, the competition that had given Chariot her fame, was somewhat of a lottery where a participant was randomly chosen to have their work carefully reviewed by judges. If the author had been lucky enough to get selected, their book would be published and they practically had their pick of editors and publishers. Most of the lucky winners of the event had gone on to obtain prestigious writing awards. A sudden revelation among the judges years later revealed Chariot had hacked the system to delete all other participants, leaving her work as the sole entry. The media tore her reputation to shreds and her fans quickly abandoned her. Chariot had denied cheating, claiming that she had no idea such a thing occurred. However it was too late and the damage was done. Bookstores had slowly stopped carrying her books and publishers had shut their doors. The critically acclaimed series “Shiny Chariot” had been discontinued and forgotten.

Obviously Diana knew of Chariot’s supposed sin, and the shift in her mood after hearing Akko’s question was very noticeable. She had stood up to her full height while Akko spoke, and then had gone still. She was almost a head taller than the brunette. Akko cringed internally when she noticed that the fondness that had lit Diana’s eyes when she had looked at the books was gone. It had been exchanged for a more hostile look. Yup, Akko had totally made a mistake. “Unfortunately, we do not carry any of Chariot du Nord’s books here;” Diana practically spat the name out with tangible dislike and possible hatred “I am sure you are aware why, if you are looking for her books.”

Akko felt a shiver roll up her spine at Diana’s not so subtle anger. “I am allowed to like Chariot. She shouldn’t have been completely erased like that. I want to one day write as well as she did.” Akko said as she felt her hands clench. Just because Chariot might have done wrong, doesn’t mean she should have been completely blacklisted. She might have been innocent like she had claimed. Akko admired Chariot as a child. The author was genuinely good at writing, putting together stories that had filled Akko with wonder. Even if Chariot had cheated, Akko was always filled with nostalgia whenever she picked up one of the books Chariot had written. They were like magic, and Akko wanted to be a witch casting spells with her words and enchanting her readers, just like her idol. Akko inhaled sharply as she saw Diana’s eyes flash in clear anger. Akko should have stayed quiet, and not go around picking fights. Diana probably wouldn’t get physical since it might cost her a job, but she certainly looked like she would throw hands at any given moment.

The tension in the room grew thicker as Akko stared at Diana, waiting for her to speak. The silence stretched on for what seemed like hours, until a little chirp sounded off behind Akko. She gave a small scream that was also echoed by a strangled yelp of fright from Diana. Probably in response to Akko’s yelling. Akko dropped her book as she whirled around to check the source of the noise. Her legs tangled together from the quick turn and she fell to the ground with a thump. She heard Diana let out a quiet scoff, probably at her lack of grace. Akko let out a small groan and looked to see what had startled her and Diana out of their standoff. It was another Roomba. This one had a little nametag of Shark on it, as well as a little cardboard fin taped to its head. Endearing, if it hadn’t scared years off of Akko’s life. Akko watched as it turned around and rolled away. Jerk.

Akko turned her head back to Diana as she felt the blonde walk up to her. Diana crouched down and picked up the book Akko had dropped in fright. She brushed it off and looked it over for damage. The blonde seemed satisfied that the book was okay and looked at Akko. Of course the bookstore employee would care more about a book than a human. Diana offered her hand, and Akko stared at it confused for a second until she reached out and took it. Diana’s hands were warm, a sharp contrast to her cold eyes. “Thanks.” Akko said awkwardly as Diana helped pull her to her feet. Diana let out a grumpy noncommittal hum in response. Akko blinked as she realized Diana was staring at her. Then she realized that she was still holding Diana’s hand.

“You have really nice hands,” Akko’s words tumbled out of her mouth “they’re really soft. Smooth.” Oh no she was babbling. She still hadn't let go of Diana’s hands. Also she was rubbing her thumb over Diana’s hand. Akko’s gay was showing. She felt her face getting redder, and Diana also seemed to have taken on the hue of a strawberry. Akko dropped Diana’s hands like she had touched a hot stove only after the blonde cleared her throat awkwardly. Akko should really relearn her social skills. Trying to get rid of the horrible awkward feeling that settled in her chest, Akko scrubbed her hands on her shorts. Yep. Her hands were sweaty. Diana probably thought she was a crazy person. A crazy person who started fights over children’s books and held random girl’s hands tenderly for long periods of time. She could never come here again. 

“Let’s get you get checked out, shall we?” Akko blinked as Diana practically shoved the English book into her hands. Diana was checking her out? Akko gaped at Diana until her brain connected the dots. Oh yes, she was buying a book. A book for a class. A class that she was totally going to be late for. Oh dear.

“Diana,” Akko said in a panicked tone, her voice raising a few octaves, “what time is it, exactly?” Akko felt her foot start tapping as her anxiety rose. If the time was what she thought it would be, then she was screwed.

“One-thirty.” Diana responded as she checked her phone. She was avoiding all eye contact, and had once again crossed her arms as if to avoid touching Akko. Akko honestly couldn’t blame her. She was a particular brand of crazy that most people could only take in small doses, and she had definitely overstayed her welcome. Akko began walking to what she assumed would be checkout. “Diana,” Akko liked the way Diana’s name sounded when she said it “I am about to be incredibly late for an English class that I need this book for. I gotta go. Like the ‘I should have left ten minutes ago’, gotta go.”

Diana rolled her eyes and walked by Akko, the smell of a meadow trailing after her. God Akko liked that smell. “Then I suggest you follow me, you were about to head in the wrong direction.” Though Diana was rude, Akko appreciated Diana’s quick pace as they walked through the store. Once more Diana was leading her through the winding shelves with a purpose. It turned out that the register was near the door. It was hidden from view from those walking in by a strategically placed bookshelf. Diana smoothly slid behind the counter and rattled off a number. Probably the book’s price. Akko didn’t quite hear what she said; she was too panicked, and simply threw four ten dollar bills at Diana’s face. She didn’t even bother waiting for her receipt or change. Akko threw herself forwards, sprinting to the door and fumbling with the knob. She didn’t even want to think about what Diana’s face looked like now, watching Akko flail around like an idiot. She managed to get the door open and resumed her mad dash once more, clipping an old lady with her shoulder on the way out. Both stumbled, but managed to recover. Akko ignored the irate calls after her. Gasping heavily, she began her mad sprint up the street and towards the college. If she took a shortcut through the alley and behind the old pizza parlor, Akko figured she could shave off a few minutes of time.

Covered in sweat, completely disheveled and probably wrinkling the pages of her new book, Akko was proud to say that she ended up only two minutes late. She was only scolded by Professor Finnelan for a total of ten minutes. All in all, a successful adventure.

  
  



	2. I Just Need This One Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amanda o'Neill is an asshole.

Amanda’s motorcycle roared down the street, echoing through the trees that surrounded the road.

Akko’s stomach lurched as Amanda took a particularly sharp turn. Weaving through traffic with Amanda’s reckless behavior was not good for her heart, but the tickling sensation of the wind in her hair made the precarious ride worth it. Even though Amanda suffered from arrogance and a carefree attitude, they were a skillful cyclist. The care that they lavished on their bike day in and day out had allowed Akko to ride in some comfort. As much comfort as you could get at fifty miles per hour on a bike, that is.

Akko clung tighter to Amanda’s waist as the redhead let out a whoop of joy and urged the bike ever faster. It was like flying, and as much as Akko adored the feeling, she would adore a seatbelt even more. Akko always told herself that she’d never ride with Amanda again after every ride, but her fondness for speed and not having to walk everywhere won against common sense every time. Amanda had nearly talked Akko into getting a bike herself and starting a biker gang, but Lotte had forbidden Akko from it. Lotte had told Akko plainly that if she truly wanted a bike, then she needed to fix her subconscious need to eat asphalt when walking. Coordination was not Akko’s strong point, and if they really did insist on a motorcycle gang, then Akko was to be confined to a sidecar. Thank you mother Lotte, ruiner of fun.

Akko blinked as they turned down a road and deeper into Blytonbury. They had begun to pass small shops instead of trees. The area looked somewhat familiar. She could have been mistaken, after all her and Amanda had been running all over looking for a stupid book for required reading. Directions weren’t her strong point. Akko easily got confused and turned around, and oftentimes things that looked familiar really weren’t. Honestly, Akko would rather be home, binging her Shiny Chariot books again. The entire reason Akko was even out was because of a stupid errand for class. Required reading was a pain, and the professor had neglected to mention that it was a book from a popular series that had just been released. Every store had been sold out, with more copies coming in a month from now. Akko’s paper on the book was due four days.

Granted, Akko might have been a little at fault; having gotten the assignment weeks before the release. However in her eyes, she paid hundreds of dollars to even be in her English Literature class. That meant even if something was twenty percent of her grade she was not standing outside a store at three in the morning waiting for it to open. Especially if it meant fighting off rabid fans all clamoring for the same book. Why her professor insisted on a very new book, and not a classic like “The Jungle Book” or “Dracula”, was beyond her. Introduction to Literature should be classics. Not new releases that weren’t even relevant. She couldn’t even steal excerpts from spark notes! Her professor prowled that website like an angry lioness, attacking any poor student who dared use that instead of source materials. God bless friends like Amanda who were ride or die, and would go above and beyond to help friends get horrible books for horrible assignments.

Akko touched back down to reality as she realized they were slowing down. This area  _ was  _ familiar, now that Akko wasn’t being hurtled at breakneck speeds. In fact, she had been here. Oh no. Oh dear. If her guess was actually on the mark for once, then they were heading to that bookshop. The bookshop where Akko had made an utter fool of herself by screaming at an innocent Roomba, and fondling an employee’s hands.

Amanda had to be doing this to torment her. Akko wracked her brain for what she could have done to deserve this. Amanda had already pranked her back after Akko had accidentally switched their shampoo with hair dye. Akko had been forbidden from store runs after that. The red orange combo suited Amanda, and they had both agreed to a truce. At least until Akko had put horribly spicy chocolate in Amanda’s bag. That one was on purpose.

Well, at least she had her answer. Akko quietly cursed her past self and the shenanigans that she had pulled. If she was lucky, which she never really was, she’d be completely wrong. Amanda could be taking a very nice shortcut through a small town that just happened to have a bookshop on their way to find a specific book. Only one way to find out.

“Amanda?” Akko raised her voice a little to be heard over the puttering of the motorcycle. The wind certainly had died down, but the noise from the engine sure hadn’t.

“We should get there in a few minutes, Red.” The words from Amanda’s mouth were swallowed by the loud engine of the cycle. Akko had to strain to hear them. Amanda gunned the engine once more, and picked up speed. Akko forgot about her question, and clung tighter to her perch as Amanda’s wild laugh rose over the noise of the engine. Honestly at this point, Akko might take the bookstore over staying a second longer on this motorcycle. She couldn’t tell if the thrumming in her head was her heartbeat or the engine. This was a recipe for a perfect headache. Oh to be a rock, with no thoughts or brain. All Akko would ever have to do is sit there and look sparkly until some toddler picked her up and stuck her in a drawer till the end of time. Just nap and look pretty.

Akko was jarred once more out of her daydream by the sudden stop of the cycle. Her head swung forwards, nearly cracking her skull against Amanda’s. Luckily the redhead had anticipated the impending disaster and had ducked. Probably learning from the last five times Akko had done the exact same thing. Pain was a strict teacher, and it looks like Amanda had learned well. Instead of a skull, Akko’s head promptly smacked into Amanda’s shoulder. The thwack noise that followed Akko’s groan of pain was covered by Amanda’s hoot of laughter. Why were all the people in Akko’s life so cruel? Even Jasminka, who had been so nice during the rare moments Akko saw her, had threatened to crush her skull like a grape if Akko dared steal her chips again. The way Jasminka had gently held Akko’s face in her hands that moment had only fueled the terror. Akko still gave Amanda a tribute of double stuff Oreos to the gentle and terrifying goddess that was Jasminka.

“Akko, I gotta go to the bathroom and fix my binder. Your clinging effed it up. Go get your book or whatever. Jas works here so you should be good.” Amanda said while tugging at her shirt. They were probably wearing the long binder today. They gracefully hopped off the cycle and looked at Akko expectantly waiting. Akko promptly stumbled off the cycle and nearly tasted sidewalk once more. Oh how Akko envied those who had their legs connected to the rest of the body. Hers seemed to be convinced that they lived on a separate plane of reality. The only small blessing was that if Jasminka worked here then it was definitely not the cursed book store from a few days ago. Dusting herself off, She turned towards what she assumed was the place Jasminka worked. The Quill and Crow. She didn’t even have the tribute Oreos for Jasminka on her.

“Amanda.”

“Yeah, Akko?” Amanda was already walking towards the building, completely ignoring their sin. Ignorant in how much they were ruining Akko’s life. Destroying her happiness. The rat.

“This is the bookstore.”

“So it is. Now hurry up, my binder itches like hell.” 

Amanda would die tonight, mark Akko’s words. Letting out a long groan of exasperation, Akko dragged her feet towards the familiar lavender building. She childishly stomped up the steps, still letting out her obnoxious noise of displeasure. Amanda was apparently immune to Akko’s attempts at getting her to repent. She cut off her vocalization and opted to pout instead.

She looked around the porch while Amanda opened the door. Wet spots littered the wood underneath the tables. It looked like the daisies had been watered in the time she had been gone. Akko related. She had been doused in water. Only, instead of flourishing, she was doomed to drown. The waters of betrayal ran deep. Akko would get Amanda back for this. She’d even bite the bullet and pay Sucy whatever her shriveled heart desired if she could get the help of the chemistry major. Some things were more important than pride. 

Amanda tugged Akko into the store, jerking her out of her reverie. Akko stumbled over the door frame and nearly knocked the umbrella rack over. She caught herself before hitting the ground, but ended up making Amanda stumble as well. “Classy, Akko, real classy.” Amanda rolled their eyes and brushed off the nonexistent dust on their jacket. Amanda probably wasn’t mad. At least, that’s what Akko hoped. They were pretty tolerant of Akko’s many flubs, and often found humor in them.

Amanda turned and walked off towards what Akko presumed was the cafe area. She hadn’t been over to that side of the store yet, and she didn’t really want to. Coffee was a huge no-go, and she didn’t have her tribute. Akko wasn’t going near Jasminka without those Oreos. As much as her clumsy nature betrayed people to think otherwise, she liked her head whole and intact.

Akko figured Amanda would be busy chatting with Jasminka. Hopefully for a small store like this, Jasminka would be the only employee. Diana wouldn’t be here. Akko would be free to stumble her way to the book she needed, and if she was lucky she’d get to pet the Roombas on her way out. No muss, no fuss, no overtly gay shenanigans. She could do this.

Akko took a huge breath and began to tiptoe through the store. She ignored tempting titles on photography and illustration. She had a goal in mind, and it was to get the book her professor wanted. Whatever it was. If there was one thing she was truly good at other than falling, it was forgetting things. She took a quick look at her hand where she had written it earlier. It was a little smudged from hand sweat, but legible. Judging from what she could make out, this was definitely a fiction book. “Forbidden Fish, A Lover’s Tale” did not sound like it was a book about numbers. Akko definitely wanted to know who wrote this book. It sounded like a Shape of Water self-insert fanfiction. “200k, slowburn, fishman x oc, rated E for juicy smut.” Akko murmured to herself with a giggle. A slight thumping noise behind her made her shriek in surprise.

“Don’t stop planning your story on my account.” A familiar voice said snarkily. Well. At least this time it wasn’t a Roomba. Akko slowly turned around and her eyes locked with a cool blue. Yup, that was Diana. She was as pretty as ever. This time Diana was in a grey button up with a blue shirt that matched her eyes. The sloppy unbuttoned style looked really good on Diana. As annoying as the blonde was, Akko was thankful for being born in this moment. Her eyes had been cleansed. Not to mention that this was practically a huge flag for Akko. No way does a girl dress like that and not kiss other girls. If Diana wasn’t so rude, maybe Akko would kiss her. That is, if Diana would let herself be kissed. Akko blinked dumbly as Diana stared at her. Oh yes, a response. People do that. 

“It’s not my story! It’s some sort of book I need for my assignment.” Akko felt her hands flail around in the air as she denied Diana’s claims. This is what fishdick had brought her. Thanks Professor Finnelan.

“Are you sure? It sounded like you were really into whatever,” Diana paused and gave a shudder “explicit material you were planning”

“For the love of god, I was not planning anything! The only thing I want to plan right now is the arson of my professor’s house for getting me into this situation!” Great. Now Diana was going to think she was even more crazy. A crazy person who wanted to copulate with the fishes and set fire to homes. Why was her luck this bad? It wasn’t even a Tuesday! She really should’ve just taken her chances with Jasminka. A crushed skull was preferable to talking about fish-men with dicks to whatever Diana was. Crush, enemy, acquaintance, Akko didn’t know what Diana fell under. It was probably something to examine later. Preferably with a therapist. “Look, can you just tell me if you have Forbidden Fish, A Lover’s Tale. I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I have it.”

Diana blinked and her eyes went out of focus for a split second. Her hands played with the hem of her shirt. Diana was probably going through a mental rolodex. “We should have fifteen copies left, on the second floor. I’ll take you to them.” Diana’s fingers flickered as she recalled where in the store they were located. The quick motions moved in a pattern; pointing up, forward, and finally to the right before settling back at the edges of her gray button up. Akko smiled. Diana’s little quirk was cute, for someone so cold. She gave a little hop as she followed Diana around the bookstore. Akko cocked her head in confusion as Diana stopped for a minute. The blonde scanned the shelf to her left and grabbed a book. Diana tucked it under her arm and began her quick walk once more. Akko shrugged her shoulders and followed Diana. Together they walked up the steps and towards the section that hopefully held the book Akko needed. Diana led Akko to a particular shelf and stopped, Akko finally being coordinated for once. In front of them was a literal wall of shirtless men. Oh, the book Akko needed was a romance novel. Amazing. Akko wanted to actually die. She hadn’t seen this many pecs since she was a sophomore in the guy’s locker room, smuggling Andrew his gym uniform. That was an experience she hadn’t wanted to repeat, yet here she was. Shirtless men galore. 

“So.” Akko said awkwardly as she averted her eyes to the floor. “Book.” Ten points for eloquence. Her vision was filled with the book she needed as Diana practically shoved it into her face. A glance at the blonde let Akko know that she was also suffering. Diana had a flat look on her face that said she would rather be anywhere than in front of half-naked men and fainting damsels.

“Forbidden Fish, A Lover’s Tale, by Brunhilda Pisces. I presume this is the book you need?” Akko nodded and took the book from Diana’s hands. She shoved it under her arm so that she wouldn’t have to stare at the cover. A nippled fish-man holding a tactfully covered half naked woman was not Akko’s idea of high art. How this was popular was beyond her knowledge. Clearly this was catering to a niche audience, but what that niche was...well Akko hoped to never find out. She croaked a “thanks” and stared off into the distance. Whatever trauma she was going to incur while reading this book was surely going to be awful. Was it legal to send a therapy bill to your professor? Akko felt a hand on her wrist and a gentle tug. She went with the flow and allowed herself to be led away. Maybe it was Amanda here to rescue her from eternal damnation. Akko blinked her eyes back into focusing and realized that it was Diana. She led her to a chair and Akko gratefully sat in it. The blonde looked somewhat awkward and out of place, standing with her arms crossed looking at Akko.

“You have my condolences; I would not wish that literature on anyone. However you are an aspiring writer, correct?” Diana was back to fiddling with the hem of her shirt, not making eye contact with Akko. Diana’s voice had been even, but her body language betrayed her nervousness. 

“Yeah, like Chariot.” Akko winced after the words tumbled from her mouth. Diana probably didn’t want to get into another weird argument about Chariot.

“I have a book I recommend to you. It is written by Ursula Callistis, a lesser known author, about the finer points of writing. I highly suggest you read it. It emulates Chariot’s style of writing, but with smoother flow.” Akko’s jaw dropped as her brain processed Diana’s words. Diana was helping her? Diana continued to speak, ignoring Akko’s gaping mouth. “She is a much more respectable writer than Chariot, but shares that style you seem to enjoy. I thought-” Diana took a breath “I thought that you would enjoy her writing as well as the ability to improve your own.” Diana handed the book to Akko, and Akko reached out and took it without thinking. Diana shifted awkwardly on her feet, staring at the floor. 

“Look, I appreciate you trying to help and all, but Chariot is my idol. Not someone else. I don’t need this book.” Akko tried to give it back to Diana, but the blonde shook her head and stepped back.

“Akko, keep the book. My colleague is working the register today. Tell her that the book is on my tab.” Diana said as she walked away. In seconds she was already lost among the shelves. Akko let out a groan and looked at the book Diana had given to her. It was black with starbursts on the cover; the title was in a red script. “Magic of Writing” Akko snorted to herself. She thought about leaving it on the table, for Diana to find and put back. She didn’t need a book to tell her how to write. Instead, she held it close to her chest. Diana had seemed earnest and apologetic. She had picked out this book for Akko. Diana had even practically bought it, just to get Akko to read. A free book was a free book, and Akko didn’t really have to read it. She could just accept the feelings behind the gift. 

Akko sighed and got out of her comfy seat. She tucked “The Magic of Writing” over “Forbidden Fish, A Lover’s Tale”, wincing at the quick glimpse of the cover her eyes were subjected to. She stood up on her tiptoes, stretching her legs, and wandered off to find Amanda. She thought she spotted Shark or Jasper the Roombas among the shelves, but decided to prioritize finding Amanda. Akko was not in a hurry to accidentally see Diana again, and the Roombas seemed to always follow the blonde. Akko found herself on the first floor and walked through the shelves until she spotted Amanda's hair. They were by the entrance to the store, chatting. Amanda had some sort of drink in their hand. It was probably coffee, judging from the smell. Jasminka was munching on some chips, occasionally offering some to Amanda.

“Yo, Akko!” Amanda called as they noticed the brunette in the edges of their vision “Did you find the book?”

“Yep, I am probably ready to go. Also Jasminka, Diana says one of these books is on her tab? The Magic of Writing?” Akko said as she walked up to the two of them. Jasminka quietly nodded and rolled up her chip bag, stowing them in a satchel that she had strapped over her shoulder. Jasminka quickly led Akko to the counter and checked her out. 

“Diana doesn’t do that for anyone,” Jasminka said in her soft voice as she bagged Akko’s purchases. “I hope you know that” Akko swallowed and gave a nod. She took her bag from Jasminka’s hands and followed Amanda out the door. Akko had come and gotten what she had gotten for and was ready to leave. All too willingly she got onto the motorcycle with Amanda. Amanda only pausing to throw their to go cup in a nearby trash can. They got onto the cycle and let out a shout of goodbye to Jasminka waving from the doorway. Akko looked at the building and her eyes were caught by the windows on the second floor. She could’ve sworn she saw Diana, looking out. Just to be safe, Akko gave a tiny wave as Amanda started the cycle and pulled out of the parking spot. Together they headed back to the dorms.

Later that night Akko was rolling around on her bed, groaning. She had opted to read “The Magic of Writing” instead of her assigned book. Why did Diana have to be right? The author had the same style as Chariot. The book also showed Akko several key areas where her writing could be improved. Diana really had been looking out for her. Akko tried to smother her cries with a pillow. Sucy wouldn’t be happy to be woken up. There had to be some way to repay Diana. After all, this was somewhat of an apology, right? Akko had to do the same. Maybe since Diana had expressed an interest in books she could invite her to sit in on a class with her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohkay we got this chapter done! A huge thank you to r5h for being my beta, and to Valkyrie-exe for motivating and providing support. I have no idea when next chapter will be up, since I have picked up a few projects (tinkering with a discord bot) that take up time. Thank you for reading as always :3


	3. I Just Really Need Your Number

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akko makes a mistake or two, and Diana is morosexual.

At the tone of the alarm clock, Akko had reluctantly woken up at an early 11 o’clock. She had managed to get the majority of her paper done the night before, which meant today was a day for slacking off. She hadn’t moved from bed at all. Instead, she was lying on her stomach and lazily scrolling through her phone. Stopping her thumb on a particularly attractive blonde model in her twitter feed, Akko was reminded of Diana. Just the mere thought of Diana pulled Akko into the memories of yesterday. Diana really had helped her out, despite Akko’s attitude during their first meeting. The blonde had helped Akko find the book she had needed, and had even purchased a book to help Akko better her writing. The amount of favors she owed was piling up, so Akko figured she really owed Diana something.

Akko combed her behead back with a hand and wracked her brain. She had to have something to offer to Diana in return for all the help. Akko smiled and propped herself up onto her elbows and smiled as an idea began to form in her brain. Professor Finnelan had mentioned a Creative Writing event being held at the school where several authors and publishers would attend a Q&A style panel about writing. Diana might be interested in going. After all, if she liked books, maybe she’d also like meeting authors. Bonus if Akko could score Diana a book signed by one of the authors themselves. 

All she had to do now was call Diana and invite her. There was no way that Diana would decline, there were too many positives. Akko squirmed in excitement. Unable to hold in the full force of her emotions, she kicked her feet and quickly rolled off the bed. Unfortunately, she didn’t quite land on her feet. Akko let out a quiet hiss of pain as her elbow slammed into the floor. She quickly sat up and began to scroll through her contacts, only to pause. Akko stared dumbly down at her phone. She didn’t have Diana’s number. Damn it.

Getting up, Akko began to pace the bedroom. How could she get Diana’s number? The blonde clearly worked frequent hours at the bookstore, so visiting in person was a possibility, but actually asking Diana out to her face? That was less than ideal. The threat of a face to face rejection was much too daunting. Texting or calling was safer.

Akko ceased her pacing and smiled as another idea hit her. Jasminka worked with Diana; maybe she would have her number. Akko’s smile dropped as her brain dragged up another possibility. Getting Diana’s number through Jasminka could end in Akko getting labeled as a creep. Getting a number through a third party was always weird. Besides, Diana wouldn’t have Akko as a contact, and might ignore her because of that. Who picks up calls from unknown numbers in this day and age?

Akko chewed her lip and thought some more. Logically, the best course of action would be to steal Diana’s phone and get her number that way. Then she could just enter in her own contact information and pass it off as something that happened earlier. After all, who remembered anything past three hours? Akko personally made it a policy not to, so why would Diana?

Plan firmly secured in her mind, Akko threw on an orange jacket over her pajama shirt. She would eat breakfast and then head to the bookstore. There wasn’t a point in getting dressed up since Diana wouldn’t be seeing her. Akko would be in and out, with Diana none the wiser. Akko left her room with a smile on her face and headed towards the door.

As she pranced through the kitchen, Akko grabbed an apple from the nearly empty fruit bowl. She took a huge bite and gave a garbled hello to Lotte and Sucy. Lotte gave a small wave back, not even looking up from her crossword puzzle. Sucy merely flipped her off from the stovetop where she stirred away at something that looked quite dubious. Akko shrugged and opened the fridge for some milk. 

“Akko, if you pass the store, can you grab some popcorn? Movie night with Amanda is next weekend and I want to be prepared.” Lotte’s piped up, still working away at her puzzle.

“Yeah, anything else?” Akko asked as she closed the door with her hip, milk in hand. 

“Mmmm, no. Sucy?” Lotte looked up and over her shoulder at Sucy.

“Blood sausage.” Sucy said flatly as she removed her pot from the heat. “And for you to stop pacing so early in the morning.”

“Yes to sausage, and its eleven thirty, Sucy.” Akko said, taking a swig from the carton.

“Irrelevant and that is disgusting.”

Akko merely nodded and wiped away her milk moustache. Nothing was better than drinking milk from the carton, and you could pry this privilege from her cold, dead hands. Besides, she didn’t have backwash, so no problem. She put the milk away and quickly demolished the rest of her apple. Akko made sure to carefully pry the seeds out of the core before throwing it away, and carefully tucked them into her coat pocket. Sucy had mentioned something about cyanide and needing apple seeds earlier. Hopefully it’d make up for drinking out of the carton later, and deter Sucy from experimenting on Akko while she slept.

With everything from her quick breakfast put away, Akko left their shared apartment. The sky looked slightly overcast, and it was chillier than yesterday. It would probably rain later; her choice to wear a jacket had been a good call. Akko shoved her hands in her pockets and fiddled with the apple seeds in one hand. Whistling cheerfully, she began to walk down the street, carefully avoiding the areas on the sidewalk that had gotten cracked from a large tree root.

Once she had gotten on the same block as the bookstore, her cheerful walk slowed to a creep. She didn’t want Diana or Jasminka to realize that she was in the area today. Stealth was a key factor. Akko looked around the area, eyes scanning for the familiar blonde hair. She was so caught up in looking for the blonde; she failed to notice the garbage can on the curb. She clipped it with her foot and stumbled. Akko hopped around, flailing her arms and trying to regain her balance. She managed to avoid falling, and her palms only slightly skimmed the concrete as she stopped her wiggling. 

Looking up, Akko found that she was in front of the bookstore. The front of it was as welcoming as ever. Akko straightened up and began to walk slowly towards the porch. If she was remembering right, the steps were creaky, so it was best to skip them entirely. She planted one foot at the bottom and stretched her leg over the three steps, holding onto the rail to keep her balance. She pointedly ignored the burning in her thighs and hoisted herself over the stairs. The porch only slightly creaked as her weight settled on it. Glancing furtively at the windows, Akko let out the breath she had been holding. No one had seen her approach.

The next hazard she had to conquer was the door. She couldn’t remember if there was a little bell that would give away her position. She’d rather go through an open window to avoid the risk of detection, but all of them seemed locked tight at a glance. She took a deep breath to conquer the squirmy feeling of excitement in her chest. This reminded Akko of the time she had broken into the art professor’s classroom with Amanda after hours to recover her phone. Hopefully this time, she wouldn’t end up being chased from the building by a police officer. 

Akko steeled her nerves and reached for the doorknob cautiously. She turned the handle carefully, and slowly opened the door; being mindful of a possible bell that would give away her position. Luckily, it seemed like there was no bell, and she stepped into the building. Akko closed the door behind her and cocked her head as she listened for noises. The building was silent, save for the hum of the air circulating through the vents. She stepped past the entryway and entered the maze of books. 

As she stealthily walked through the shelves, Akko remembered an old article she once read. She quickly ducked down to crawl on all fours. It had said that people were more likely to catch something at eye level; therefore crawling was the way to go. Akko let out a quiet prayer that Diana wouldn’t catch her, ass in the air, as she roamed about the bookstore. 

Hearing a quiet hum, Akko quickly ducked into an alcove. Peeking around a corner, she watched as the two Roombas that patrolled the store came into view. They beeped nonsensically to each other as they passed, and Akko let out a quiet breath of relief. She felt a little stupid hiding from Roombas, but it was better to be safe than sorry. She looked around again carefully. The two Roombas always followed Diana around, so she had to be close by. Seeing nothing that indicated that Diana was close, Akko resumed her crawl.

Humming a little spy tune of her own, she headed to the back of the store. As she neared her destination, she finally spotted a door that marked the jackpot. The staff room. Akko quickly scuttled over on hands and knees, stopping at the door. She barely paused to look around before mushing her face into the hardwood floor, straining her eyes in an attempt to peek under the doorframe. A light was on, and she didn’t see any shadows or feet. Aside from the shadows of a chair off to the side, it appeared to be all clear. Akko balanced on her knees, reaching for the door knob. Akko pushed her nervousness down and her hand closed her hand around the door knob. 

There was something taboo about opening the door; as if she was entering a realm not made for mere mortals. 

Akko inhaled, steeling her nerves, and jerked the door open. Unfortunately, she miscalculated the force she had used and ended up rolling in after. Recovering quickly, she hunched over like a feral animal, glancing around frantically. A small desk area was packed away in a corner, papers scattered all over the dark wood. To the right, a small row of dented lockers stood. “All right!” Akko muttered to herself. The employee’s belongings were probably stored there. Akko briefly looked up, checking for a security camera. Nothing. There probably was never a need for tight security in a small bookshop, and that worked in her favor.

She quickly closed the door and crawled towards the lockers, analyzing them for any indication of one of them being Diana’s. There were faded marks from where masking tape had been worn away, probably from previous employees whose names had been scrubbed away after resigning. Akko couldn’t see any tape that bore Diana’s name. She would have to wing it and check every locker. Her heart beat in her chest as she began to open up several lockers at once. Each one was empty. As her fingers brushed one of the lockers on the top row, Akko let out a tiny grunt of frustration. This one better have at least something worth her time. 

“Finally!” Akko whispered in triumph when she saw that this one contained a dark blue lunchbox and a gray notepad. As she reached inside to see if a phone was hiding behind the lunchbox, she heard a small click. Akko turned, all senses straining to the door. She felt a sense of dread creep through her heart as the door slowly swung open. She was about to be caught stealing something from an employee locker. She had to do something. Getting caught was not an option. 

Akko quickly slipped off her shoe. She could throw it as a distraction and make a break for the door. Hopefully whoever it was wouldn’t see her face and Akko could make a clean getaway. Cocking her arm back, Akko prepared to throw the ragged sneaker, only to drop it as Diana herself walked through the door. The blonde made eye contact with Akko as the sneaker hit the floor with a resounding thud. Akko flinched as Diana’s eyes darted to it for a split second before returning to Akko’s face.

“You were going to throw that at me, weren’t you?”

Akko paused for a moment. “No.”

“Akko, you had the shoe in your hand. You were going to throw it.”

“No, I was just,” Akko’s eyes darted down to the shoe as she thought up an excuse “shaking a stone out of it. Now that it’s gone, I guess I’ll get going!” She bent down and scooped up the shoe. Hastily jamming it on her foot, she attempted to push past Diana and escape this embarrassing situation. Diana quickly blocked her path with an arm.

“Akko, what are you doing in the employee’s room and why was your hand in my locker?” Diana asked with a sigh. She had begun to squeeze the bridge of her nose with her free hand. Akko fiddled with her coat’s sleeve nervously. Diana looked frustrated, and that probably wasn’t a good sign. 

“Uh,” Akko said with all the eloquence she could muster.

Diana sighed again and reached into her back pocket and pulled out a slim wallet. “How much?” She asked as she opened it.

“Excuse me?” 

“How much do you need? Clearly you wouldn’t be rifling through my belongings if you didn’t need cash,” Diana looked at Akko evenly “The register up front would have been a better option, but I can’t fault you for avoiding possible confrontation.”

Akko felt her jaw drop. The way Diana seemed resigned to giving Akko money made her think maybe the blonde had gone through all this before. Akko tried to gather her wits to tell Diana she wasn’t a thief. This was not how she wanted it to go. She had to explain that this was a misunderstanding.

“I didn’t come here for money, I wanted your phone.” God dammit, that was not what she wanted to say.

“My phone?” Diana gave a blink in surprise. “What could you possibly need my phone for?”

Akko clenched her teeth. It took all of her strength not to let out a miserable whine. She might as well come clean now. The whole plan had failed. Worst of all, Akko probably was going to be kicked out of the store for thievery. She would never get to see Diana ever again, and would never be able to repay Diana for her kindness.

“I wanted to get your number.”

“And you thought the best way to do that was to steal my phone.”

“Well-”

“Akko, did you even consider the possibility that you might not be able to guess my password?”

“I just assumed that you’d have one of those old ones,” Akko looked down at the floor guiltily “Like a Noika or something.”

“A Noi-” Diana let out a huff of exasperation. She crossed her arms and looked at Akko with a small glare. “Why would I have a Noika?”

“You seem like the type to have one of those old lady phones?”

“Atsuko,” Akko felt a shiver run down her spine at the use of her first name “I am the same age as you. Obviously I would have a phone befitting my age.”

Akko didn’t say anything back; she just looked down and shuffled her feet. Why did she think this was some sort of grand plan? It was obviously doomed to fail. Her eyes burned and she felt a lump grow in her throat.

“Akko,” Diana said in a gentle tone. Akko felt Diana’s cool hand on her cheek and allowed the blonde to guide her face away from the floor. “All you had to do was ask. I would have been happy to give it to you. You didn’t need to come up with a scatterbrained plan like this.” Akko felt her tears dry when she noticed that Diana’s eyes glittered with merriment, and her lip was twitching in an attempt to restrain a smile.

“Here.” 

Akko held her breath as she watched Diana slip her phone out of a pocket and unlock it with a series of deft finger swipes. She hesitantly took it from Diana’s hands and looked at the blonde. Diana gave a small nod of encouragement, and Akko quickly typed in the digits to her phone number.

“Thank you, Diana.” Akko said as she handed the phone back. She felt all warm and gooey, like she was radiating sunshine. She stood there star struck, looking at Diana.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Diana asked with a raised brow. Her hand was held out in expectation. For a brief moment, Akko thought Diana wanted to hold hands, until she remembered that they were exchanging phone numbers. Akko felt a squeak of embarrassment escape her throat. She shakily handed her phone to Diana, almost forgetting to unlock it.

She watched as Diana entered her number in. Akko couldn’t believe this was happening. It looks like the plan had been a success after all. Akko slipped her phone back into her pocket once Diana had finished filling out the contact information. She was hyper aware of the weight of her phone. She still couldn’t believe it. She had gotten Diana’s number.

“So,” Diana said with a smirk “What did you need my phone number for?”

“I wanted to see if you wanted to come with me to that creative writing panel thing.” Akko blurted out. “Y’know, because you seemed interested in books.”

“I wonder what gave that away.” Diana said with a giggle. Her hand was covering her mouth, and Akko briefly wished she could see Diana’s full face when she laughed. Akko could tell Diana had a smile full of sunshine, and she wanted to see it. “I was going to come anyway. Ursula, my boss, is on the panel. I was going to help set up.” Diana continued as her giggles faded. “But, I’d much rather go with you, as long as you don’t mind arriving early.”

“Not at all! I like helping and stuff. I’m super strong!” Akko couldn’t help but give a little jump and playfully flex her arms. This had exceeded her expectations. She’d be able to pay Diana back for all her help. 

“You should probably get going,” Diana gave a little glance at the clock ticking away on the wall. “It’s getting rather late, and you really shouldn’t be here. I’ll escort you to the door.”

Once more Akko found herself being led through the shelves at a quick pace, her hand entwined with Diana’s. It was almost like a dream. Akko was pleased to find that Diana still used whatever shampoo that made her smell like wildflowers. All too soon they were on the porch.

“So I’ll see you, for the panel thing on Thursday?” Akko asked. She was still holding Diana’s hand, and she was a bit hesitant to let go. She gave a small squeeze, and felt a trill run through her when Diana squeezed back.

“Of course. I shall text you the time later this evening. Please don’t let me catch you in our staff room again.” Diana said as she almost hesitantly untangled her fingers from Akko’s and walked towards the door. Akko’s hand almost felt lonely after the blonde had let go. “And Akko,” Diana said with a smile over her shoulder “I look forward to our date.”

Akko stood there dazed as Diana quickly shut the door, still looking at her hand. As the words slowly sunk in, she felt her body give a jerk. “You too!” She yelped at the door belatedly. With a red face, Akko quickly dashed off the porch and back towards the dorm. She could buy groceries later. Right now she needed a safe place to scream her joy. Her roommates wouldn’t be safe from the hugs that were to follow Akko’s triumphant entrance. Akko had a feeling that Lotte would definitely have a field day when she told her this story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got this chapter done. It took a lot to push through the writer's block I was facing, but I did it! No beta for this chapter, so mistakes will occur lol.
> 
> A huge thank you to valkyrie-exe, dianacavendishisgay, and rawrroarrawrart on tumblr!

**Author's Note:**

> Alright this was a doozy to write, and honestly I dunno when next chapter will be out! Bully me enough and it'll probably be in a week. I reccomend checking out @dianacavendishisgay on tumblr for some really cute art that accompanies this au! They're really awesome! Also a huge thank you to all the beta readers who put up with me, and to my girlfriend who encouraged me to actually get my butt in gear and get this au written down.


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